Most modern motor vehicles, both automobiles and trucks, include as a standard piece of equipment, a dashboard mounted cigarette lighter which comprises a lighter socket with a removable "pop-out" electric heating element. When the heating element is pressed into the lighter socket from its normal carrying or storage position, it makes electrical contact with a terminal in the lighter socket to bring the heating element to an ignition temperature. Once ignition temperature is reached, the heating element pops out to a position where it then can be removed from the lighter and used in igniting a cigarette or cigar. This ignition is accomplished by bringing the heating element into physical contact with the end of the cigar or cigarette. This causes the tobacco and paper at the end of the cigarette or the tobacco at the end of the cigar to make direct physical contact with the heating coil; and often when the lighter element is pulled away from the cigarette, a chunk of burning tobacco is pulled away with it. Such chunks may fall away from the lighter element into the lap of the user or onto the seat of the car creating a serious fire and safety hazard.
Another serious safety hazard encountered with the electric "pop-out" lighter occurs when such a lighter is passed from one person to another in the vehicle. It is very hot and severe burns can and do result when a person accidentally touches the hot end of the lighter.
Another disadvantage of the conventional electric cigarette lighter is that it is difficult to use such a lighter to light a pipe because of the requirement of physical contact between the heating element of the lighter and the tobacco in the pipe bowl. Furthermore, automobile cigarette lighters cannot be removed from the automobile and used when the automobile operator or passenger leaves the vehicle. In such an event, it is necessary for a smoker to have another lighter or to carry matches for use in lighting cigarettes when he is away from the motor vehicle.
It is desirable to provide an improved cigarette lighter arrangement for use with motor vehicles and more particularly a cigarette lighter holder adapter which will fit into the standard cigarette lighter socket but holds a conventional butane gas cigarette lighter or the like in a position of ready access for the user of the lighter.